In the past decade, ultrasonic dental tools have come into greater use and have begun to replace most rotary power and hand dental tools for drilling, cutting, shaping, cleaning and polishing teeth. Most of the powered prior art dental tools were powered by rotating electric or air motors. The tools useable with these power units were limited to rotating drills, cutters and grinders. The ultrasonic powered dental tools of recent years have several advantages over the prior art devices for most applications. Among the advantages are that they are smaller and lighter in weight and can be more easily manipulated in and around dental structures in the oral cavity.
The ultrasonic power units have an entirely different type of motion than the rotary motion of air and electric motor powered units of the past. The motion imparted to the tool by an ultrasonic power unit is usually a small amplitude very high frequency or velocity oscillation or reciprocation. This motion is imparted to the working tip of the tool. The use of ultrasonic powered tools has resulted in the need for the development of entirely different types and sizes of tools. While many tools have been developed and are available for use with ultrasonic power units, there is a need for additional tools designed and configured to perform periodontal procedures.
Periodontal disease affects several areas in the oral cavity. These areas include the root area of the tooth, the bone and the gums. Typical treatment involves removal of the diseased portion of the structure of these areas. This includes planing and smoothing of the root surfaces and the bone. It also involves curettage of the affected tissue.
This treatment requires special tools designed to effectively carry out these procedures. The prior art tools, while helpful are not entirely satisfactory. Among the prior art patents disclosing tools designed for this purpose are U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,175 to Nash, U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,696 to Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,019 to Martin and U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,787 granted to applicant.
Therefore, there is a need for improved ultrasonic dental tools formed of a suitable strong and durable heat resistant material with suitable structure and configurations for effectively performing periodontal procedures.